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September 7, 2007

G142: Red Sox 4, Orioles 0

Lester (7-4-0-2-4, 98) was great and the bottom of the order, in addition to providing three early runs, also sparked a benches-clearing balk (see comments).

Lester allowed a leadoff single and a stolen base to Roberts in the first, and a two-out walk to Tejada, but escaped trouble. In the third, he allowed a single to Tejada and a walk to Millar, but kept the ball in the infield and no harm was done. Lopez pitched a perfect eighth and MDC worked through a two-out walk in the ninth.

The Sox got two runs in the second: Youkilis walked, Drew doubled to left-center, Varitek singled in Yook and Drew scored on Crisp's sac fly. Crisp singled to start the fourth, moved to third on two groundouts, then distracted Cabrera into balking him home.

Cabrera's next pitch sailed past the back of Pedroia's neck and that's when the fun began. It sounds both both team's TV color guys showed no mercy in ripping Cabrera. For the O's, Jim Palmer was thoroughly disgusted, since the team has talked with Cabrera several times about this exact problem.

Boston got its fourth run in the eighth. Ellsbury singled, stole second and scored on Youkilis single.

Both Ellsbury and Drew made fantastic catches in the late innings. Lyndon leapt at the wall in left to rob Mora and Drew hauled in Tejada liner after a long run into the right field corner.

The Tigers beat Seattle 6-1 to take over second place in the wild card chase. The Yankees are Royals are tied 2-2 after six innings.

Globe: "Terry Francona has been out at first base with Brandon Moss instructing him on how to play first base. There's no glove or ball, just plain old instruction, mostly going over footwork and technique."

Ellsbury, Pedroia. With Youk in the 5-hole. Drew still batting 6th...Triple speed threat in Crisp, Lugo, and Ellsbury... This looks like a good line-up, with the gaping hole of the slumping Drew. Still miss Manny's bat, though.

SI reports that Troy Glaus received multiple shipments of performance-enhancing drugs -- Nandrolone, an anabolic steroid, and testosterone. Both drugs were on MLB's banned list at the time they were shipped.

I added this and some of Judge Buster Olney's quotes -- he has already ruled Ankiel guilty -- in the previous post.

I’m really concerned about a failing Dice-K and Okajima as we go into September. Got past by the skin of our teeth last night. I think the O’s are going to split the series with us and the Raze are on an awesome tear now. So I’m projecting 3 and 4 over the next 7 games. If the Yankees go 5 and 1 that means the spread will be 3 or 4 games at the start of the last series. I can’t remember the last time we beat the yankees.

So on 9/17 this will be a dead heat.

our last 6 games are against the a’s and the twins. I hate this schedule. I think we’re screwed again. I know it. I can feel it in my bones.

Schill is the greatest post game pitcher in the history of the game. But will we get there?

Listening to Don & Jerry in the open, saying that Ococ is now "the kind of player Red Sox fans thought they were getting last year," reminds me of how everyone was complaining about Coco last year. The deal sucked - Coco sucked - more evidence of Theo Is A Moron - blah blah blah. Now that off year is forgotten.

Over a picture of a Sock and an O talking, Gary Thorne saying: "Fraternization ... it used to be illegal, now it's all about me and you" (or something like that)

Actually, it is still illegal.

Good ol' Rule 3.09:

"Players in uniform shall not address or mingle with spectators, nor sit in the stands before, during, or after a game. No manager, coach or player shall address any spectator before or during a game. Players of opposing teams shall not fraternize at any time while in uniform."

so instead of an unwritten rule that everyone follows, this is a written rule that everyone ignores.

yup. like pot smoking, underage drinking, and jay walking.

i think it's better for players to feel solidarity with each other and be friends than not. they're still going to be competitors during the game, so why enforce codes of conduct about personal behaviour that doesn't affect the game.

I guess I just never expect a team to be perfect. Even the best team has weak spots, deficits. Our 2007 team is so good, so well constructed and balanced - even with several key players have sub-par seasons - that I just can't get my mind around all the whining.

I love Coco - but I don't think his suckiness at the plate has been forgotten by the haters yet.

I like him a lot too -- but it hasn't been forgotten because it really hasn't gone away. His hitting is pretty close to what he did last year's, though his OBP is up about 20 points (though that gets it to only .335 or so).

Yeah, Coco's numbers are pretty level. But he felt like an automatic out early this year (really early, I mean). He had a really rough time with the broken knuckle and the kidney stones (? something like that).

I'd certainly like to see him float back to his career numbers though.

i was at fenway south last night. papi's home run was a complete bomb. also sat in the right field seats...i never heard a player take crap as bad as jd did after his inning ending double play with the bases loaded. i'm not much for yelling at players in person, i think its completely rude. some were funny though. exciting back and forth game till the bullpens came in...go figure.

When I was in Seattle for the series in June, there were two guys in front of us that were just UNRELENTING to Drew. Couple of times was midly funny, but it got old fast. I should complained. They kept it up for innings.

it's sometimes no fun at games due to the people around us. right behind my wife and i there were these two annoying girls from r.i. yapping about her birthday, talking about "her man" beckett, i think there was a twenty minute loud conversation about getting tatoos today. they left in the 4th...i enjoyed the rest of the evening.

i don't think he and helen spent much time together after he left boston. they never officially divorced and helen was living with a man in a boston suburb when she died in a house fire in 1925 (i think). reading montville book about it, it sounds like babe was as shook by that anything in his life, in a daze for about a week.

fans at games can be very trying. in our many years at yankee stadium, we had many such trials.

when allan first moved to nyc, we used to go to tons of games - it was the first time he had ever had easy access to a ML park. but over the years, he started preferring tv. most of that was down to the fans.

Remy is indeed off on it. I do hate this shit though--bench clearing; it's a stupid thing to do...ESPECIALLY for the sox. It was odd to see sexy lips out there. Do he and cabrera go back? Am glad there was no physical altercation.

palmer saying that cabrera has been spoken to about this time and time again by coaches and manager -- guy on third, dancing away, trying to distract him and cabrera getting distracted, balking and getting pissed off.

I expect to see it too, but I find it stupid. I don't like it in any sport. I hate hockey because of it. It's got nothing to do with the playing of the game itself. It's stupid machismo and they're professionals who need to be able to contain themselves to play the sport of baseball. I understand getting heated and I understand getting tough while playing, but clearing the bench is just predictably pointless.

Wow, just got in in time for replays of the craziness. I LOVE Pedroia, how he's almost killed but stays calm, doesn't even look at the asshole.

From before:

"i understand wanting to go with a hot hand, but do all the people who think drew is going to suck forever really think ellsbury will keep hitting .432?

because it's the same logic -- what is now is what will always be."

I can usually take a level-headed approach with this stuff. I absolutely wanted to wait out Dustin in April while people seriously wanted to have ALex Cora be our second baseman. But, to me anyway, Drew's a special case. He can do nothing right it seems. For most of the year. I was ready to have Kielty just fill right in for him. So when you have a guy like Ellsbury, who's way better than Kielty, it makes it even easier for me to just say "go with the kid." In this case.

Believe me, I've head Sterling put everyone from Bubba Crosby to Chad Curtis in Monument Park for having one good game. But in this case, I say leave Drew at the airport in Baltimore. Of course, I'll root for Drew and I hope he suddenly becomes what he's supposed to be...

I'm sure I'm in the minority on tis one, but why do you see brawls as an integral part of the game. What would we be missing if we didn't have 'em?

to me the occasional brawl is as much a part of baseball as throwing inside and the retaliation that (should) follow.

i don't want to see people make up brawls for no reason as if it's pro wrestling, but the players are not machines, they're not going to work in an office, the competitive passion and the feeling of defending one's teammates sometimes boils over, and that's what happens.

what would be missing? some of the passion, some of the excitement, the belief that the people playing the game really care about it.

if it's macho, then i think we could define all sports as macho (which i don't).

Jere said... Wow, just got in in time for replays of the craziness. I LOVE Pedroia, how he's almost killed but stays calm, doesn't even look at the asshole.

Welcome back.

and if I may, Jere accentuates my point to me. Pedroia (who is awesome) is totally scrappy, tough, full of attitude and nobody's fool in the game and he doesn't need to bother with the asshole. There's no need for brawling...

I think when you talk about brawls and retaliation, you have to consider the fact that the AL pitchers don't have to bat. Then again, I don't watch the NL. Do their pitchers hit guys on purpose less because they know they have to hit? And do they retaliate by waiting for the opposing pitcher to come up or do they just hit the next batter like in the AL?

sorry nick, it doesn't make your point or not make your point. i'm not into the whole "scrappy" player thing, i think that's just silliness. but you think pedroia wouldn't be part of a bcb if it took place? not likely.

i'm not suggesting every hit batter needs to charge the mound. but you see cabrera and ramon hernandez going nuts, calling out the dugout, the players are all just supposed to sit there? because they're professionals and should be above it? (or maybe that's not what you're saying, correct me if i'm under the wrong impression.)

heh. I was annoyed I used the word "scrappy" then you called me on it too. I think I agree with you on that one.

I don't think it makes my point or invalidates it, but it was a good response. What I was trying to get at is that "Fuck Yeah!" plays hot, but scored more points w/ me by being totally cool in that situation. I'm sure if there's a big bench clearing he's right out with the rest of them--I just don't see what it gains.

I understand passion of the game and I understand that we are humans and all the blood boiling that goes with it, but I also understand that these people are professionals and they need to use that passion and aggression positively and for me brawling ain't it.

I've lived my whole live being willing to step up and defend people I think need defending whether it was the kid who got picked on in school or telling a customer to stop being a jerk to the counterperson at the gas station. When I resort to violence or loose my cool, I've feel as though I've failed my cause. If we want a non-violent world we have to be able to live that way and it's got nothing to do with not being passionate or standing up for what is right.

for me, one, i don't apply my political and personal stances and goals to the men on the field. to the game itself, yes - labour issues, equal opportunity. but i don't expect professional athletes to uphold any kind of code regarding nonviolence. they seem to be know how to release those passions without doing serious damage to each other.

and two, i don't aspire to a nonviolent world. while i am against all wars, and have trouble imagining one i would support, i actually believe violence has a place in people's movements. i've never seen a movement that succeeded without violence, or the threat of violence. all the successful nonviolent leaders had the threat of a violent alternative to help their methods look more palatable to the public.

Two things: 1. That McDonalds McNugget commercial may be the worst thing in the long history of bad commercials.

2. I will continue to root for Drew, in our out of the lineup. And to hope he emerges from this horrific slump. That doesn't mean, however, that I would be disappointed if LBJ started platooning with Drew when Manny comes back.

've lived my whole live being willing to step up and defend people I think need defending whether it was the kid who got picked on in school or telling a customer to stop being a jerk to the counterperson at the gas station. When I resort to violence or loose my cool, I've feel as though I've failed my cause.

I just read this more carefully.

I think if you feel you've failed your cause when you lose your cool - without physical violence - you are setting an impossible standard. Damn, I barely know how to step up to defend someone (which I try to do as well) without losing my cool. Slight exaggeration, but losing your cool is not a negative thing. It can be extremely effective. I hope you really don't feel like you've failed if you raise your voice or become demonstrative.

I feel like I'm sidetracking this discussion too much, but I'll just quickly respond to one of laura's point. I don't mind raising my voice and I don't mind being damn assertive, but I do draw certain lines. And, for what it's worth, my standards are too high.

Also, I flipped over to wmtc for a second and Madeleine L'Engle died?! I'll have to process that for a while.

ish, when we were still in nyc and i was working on weekends, i used to circle all the weekday day games on the yankees schedule and try to go to as many as i could - just go up day-of and get a cheap seat, then move down into good seats. sometimes i'd find a friend who could take a sick day, sometimes allan would come, sometimes i'd just go by myself.

i got to about half of them, maybe 4 or 5 a year, but they were my favourite games.

The TV I was watching at the restaurant was on mute, but had closed captioning on during the whole 4th inning scrum. I was reading what Remy was saying, and I could tell he was pissed. Man, I wish I could have heard his voice on that one.

ish, when we were still in nyc and i was working on weekends, i used to circle all the weekday day games on the yankees schedule and try to go to as many as i could - just go up day-of and get a cheap seat, then move down into good seats. sometimes i'd find a friend who could take a sick day, sometimes allan would come, sometimes i'd just go by myself.

i got to about half of them, maybe 4 or 5 a year, but they were my favourite games.

That's really the downside about the Red Sox being so popular. You can't just walk up before the game and get in. They do sell a handful day-of-game tickets, but you've got to get there very early.

That's really the downside about the Red Sox being so popular. You can't just walk up before the game and get in. They do sell a handful day-of-game tickets, but you've got to get there very early.

And the park is much smaller. Fewer seats to sell.

It's funny, most people in the NY area think that's true about Yankee Stadium too. But in the middle of the week, on a weekday, there are tickets to be had. They're also expensive, but if you know what you're doing, you can get around that too, mostly.

L, I know this season the Yankees haven't been having sellout after sellout. Sure, they've been averaging about 54,000 per game, but you're right. Those mid-week daygames probably don't get sold out. Especially in September with the kids in school.